y% A story in our January 17 issue comparing the Soviet

and Canadian curriculum gave the total number of
hours for all Soviet grades as 298 a week. For further clari-
fication here is the breakdown by grades: one and two, 24
hours a week; three, 25 hours; four, 27 hours; five, six and
seven, 32 hours; eight, nine and ten, 34 hours.

Ethnic bibliography
prepared by archives

A 65-PAGE booklet prepared
by the provincial archives
will be of considerable help
in the further research and
study of the history of ethnic
groups in British Columbia.

Titled A Select Bibliography
on Ethnic Groups in British
Columbia, the multilith book-
let is published by the B.C.
Centennial Committee and is
available at centennial offices
without charge. ;

The bibliography —- pro-
posed by the Centennial Sub-
Committee on Ethnic Groups
and Provincial Organizations
—is the first completed inter-
eultural project’ in connection
‘vith the centennial.

‘Phe booklet opens with five
pages listing general works on
ethnic groups in B.C., then
covers all available material
on each group, with the ex-
ception of native Indians. Ma-
terial on the Indians was sO
extensive that the bibliogra-
phy had to be limited to those
groups not native to the prov-
ince, but who entered B.C.
during the first 100 years.

Reference listings on each

ethnic group include: (1)
Books and articles; (2) News-
papers; (3) Unpublished ma-
terials. The introduction also
points out that the published
bibliography is only part of

a more extensive check-list, ©

which was compiled as part
of the project. The full check-
list is available for consulta-
tion in the Provincial Archives
at Victoria.

Soviet film showings

Two outstanding Soviet
films will be shown in the
city this weekend.

Mother, based on Maxim
Gorki’s famous work, will be
shown at Ukrainian Hall, 805
East Pender, and The New
Gulliver, a puppet satire, at
the Russian People’s Home,
600 Campbell. :

Both films will be shown
this Sunday, February 2, 8:00
p.m. :

India expects to be building
its own steam locomotives en-
tirely within the country by
1961.

‘Great brain-and great heart’

she was ablest woman of time |

A HUNDRED years ago, on

January 22, 1858, Beatrice
Potter, who afterwards be-
came’ Beatrice Webb, was
born.

The daughter of a wealthy
Victorian industrialist, and
born into Society, she emanci-
pated herself early in life
from the narrow prejudices
in which she had been brought
up. She turned to Fabianism
and the social investigations,

through which she met and,

married Sidney Webb.

Both the Webbs will be re-
membered for their work for
social reform. They provided
the theoretical and statistical
basis of the reform measures
advocated by the British
Labor party, and played a
major part in drafting the
Labor party constitution in
1918.

They- wrote classic works on
the trade unions, the co-
operatives, local government
and the Poor Law, founded
the London School of Eco-
nomics and the New States-
man.

In their crowning study of
Soviet Communism, they des-
cribed it as a “new civiliza-
tion” and looked into a truly
socialist future.

But Beatrice herself de-
serves lasting remembrance as
an individual, for it is no ex-
aggeration to say that she
was the ablest English wo-
man of the past century or so.

tt 5e3 et

Her two fascinating vol-

_ umes of autobiography, and

the diaries edited after her
death, reveal her keen intel-
lectual curiosity, her clear in-
sight and fair-mindedness, and
her biting wit.

Her wit and her detachment
were probably the first things
to be noticed about her, and
this made her appear cold

and inhuman to those who did_

not know her well.

Miss Eva Reckitt, who first
met Beatrice Webb in 191%,
during work for the Labor
Research Department, says
frankly: “When I first met the
Webbs, I couldn’t bear them.

“I was engaged in a system
of research cuttings about
which I was very keen and
proud.

“One of the first things
Beatrice ever said to me was
simply: ‘And do you like cut-
ting cuttings, Miss Reckitt?’—
which dampened my youth-
ful enthusiasm very much.”

But, Miss Reckitt goes on
to say, this “cold-water” ap-
proach covered a tremendous
interest in life and in people.
It is worth remembering that

the Webbs were both over
70 when they were invited to
visit the Soviet Union in 1932.

“Beatrice was as excited as
a child going to a party,” re-
members Miss Reckitt. “She
yead everything she could
lay; her hands on about the
Soviet Union before her visit.

“And. later in life,- when
they had both retired from
public life to Passfield Corner,
she still retained her enthusi-
asm for what was going on
in the world. When I went
down to see her, she would

ask me _ endless questions
about people and events.”
be: x $e

“Integrity” was a word
which Beatrice Webb used a
great deal, and it was a yard-
stick which she applied to
herself and to other people:

Her diaries show that she
was always struggling to im-
prove her character, to school
her temperament, to be com-
pletely and utterly honest
with herself.

She had some cutting things
to say about careerists in
politics, and in particularly
about Labor ministers and
their; wives who were
‘dragged onto smart Society
with the inevitable dressing-
up and extravagant expendi-
ture.”

But later she examined
minutely her own attitude:

“How I loathe London Soc-

iety in allits aspects. ... What
I detest most of all are my
own reactions to it — the

stimulus it gives to latent
personal vanity contemptible

in an old lady of seventy-
odd!”

Centennial
event held

One of the finest and by far
the biggest indoor centennial
event held so far took place
Friday in Pender Auditorium
here, when a capacity audi-
ence of 1,300 witnessed a fine
concert program. of Scandi-
navian folk songs, dancing,
music and choral groups.

This opening Centennial
concert sponsored by the
Scandinavian cultural organi-
zations in the Lower Main-
land, received warm _ public
support and appreciation for
the high standard of talent
displayed.

The committee has . plefis
well advanced for a_ gala
Scandinavian Festival to take
place in Vancouver during
June,

-comparison with herself.

She herself made all so
of excuses not to go to Cout
or be presented to the Queel:
And she steadfastly refuse
to use her title. ; d
“Moreover, she’ wasn’t alia
to change her mind if ita
the honest thing to do.

iod
hated the Russian Revolutl®

“(although she was fair-min®

ed enough to observe its Me
sults and its leaders Vou
shrewdly); but she finally 2”
mitted that “we went nope
lessly “ wrong oe withov
doubt we are on. the: sid@as
Russia.”

pe: it es f

There are two aspects p:
Beatrice Webb which emett”
less clearly from her WH"
ings, but which are worth a
cording — her extreme sim
plicity and unostentatiousne™
and the warm humamly |
underlying the cloak of de |
tachment. i

Miss Reckitt says: :
though she was a very peal:
ful woman, she never pot :
ed much about how she jodi
ed. And her home, Passfie™
Corner, was simple in the er
treme.” an

When Beatrice eloped we
Sidney the only trousseal she |
— a rich man’s daughtet —
took .with her was .a C@Zam
pairs of silk stockings.

Much has been made iD the
past of the -words Beattie’
once wrote: “I do not
human beings.” But tam
words are not borne out
her own’ deeds. t

To start with, she had * |
great affection for her family
and also for her many frie? #
From her retirement at Pas |
field Corner, says Miss Reck
itt, “she would almost bee
people to come down and vis
them.” “ig

It was obvious to every”
body that she adored her hus
band. yt

‘There was never any dou?
in her mind that he was wo
ten of her. Miss Reckitt rea
members her saying time 2?
time again: “Sidney is oa
patient! he is so conscientiov™, |
he is so calm! — while I.-*, |
and she would go on abou
how wonderful Sidney was :
Their marriage was, ys
Beatrice’s own words, “a P&
petual honeymoon,” ever
though she may sometim®
laugh at herself (she wr
in her diary: “’Ridiculous |
souls, we say, to on
another”).

Beatrice Webb was not only,
a great brain — she had Z
great heart, too.

ROSEMARY. SMAL!

January 31, 1958 — PACIFIC TRIBUNE—PAGE 8